New York Auto Show: 2007 Lexus GS 450h
Just to prove what a stealthy hybrid this car is, I walked right past it on day one of the show, having to return on day two to take pictures. I thought they had the standard GS on display. That stealth heralds the new breed of hybrid that focuses on performance just as much as getting better fuel economy like the first-to-market Honda Accord Hybrid.
Unlike the Accord, the GS 450h is tuned for even more performance and has the rear-wheel drive to handle it. Straying from the regular Lexus naming scheme (like the RX 400h before it) the GS 450h does not have a 4.5-liter V-8 engine, but a 3.5-liter V-6 mated to a high-output, permanent magnet electric motor that performs like a 4.5 V-8. Clever.
The engine, when mated with the high-torque electric motor will produce more than 300 horsepower and get the hybrid moving to 60 mph in less than six seconds almost equal to the GS 430 V-8. The immediate power delivery of the electric motor helps the car in the 30-to-50 mph passing maneuvers. Fuel economy numbers should average in the high twenties and will most likely be certified as a Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle.
Visual differences, for the astute Lexus admirer, include 18-inch light-alloy wheels and a new power meter that replaces the tachometer. Of course the badge on the trunk will also reflect the hybrid powertrain. All other features, including dimensions, match with the standard GS 430.
Pricing has not been announced, but if we follow the RX 400hs lead, the price should go up between $8-10,000; $5,000 for the hybrid powertrain and a handful of features that would be optional on the non-hybrid models. That would put the GS 450h in the $55-60,000 dollar range, a steep number indeed. The GS 450h should start appearing at dealers in the spring of 2006 so you have some time to start scrimping.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
yong 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
The price should not be that high because fully loaded GS 300 is about 50k and hybrid powertrain addes another 2-3k.
The RX 400h seems like it cost much more than the RX 330 because lot of the options are standard. Fully loaded RX 330 is about 49k, verses fully loaded RX 400h is about 51k and it includes Navi, rear DVD and other equipment.
The GS 450h will be avaiable in early or late fall of 2006 and NOT spring,
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Walter J Keegan 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Lexus' press release quotes "The Lexus GS 450h is targeted for sale begining in the spring of 2006".
For RX 400h, Lexus was quoted to say that the Hybrid powertrain cost $5,000. Then $6,000 of options were added. I just used that equation.
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KayBee 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
So aparently Lexus (hey, my 2nd Lexus post!) is taking cue from the AMD vs. Intel battle. AMD is outgunned in the megahertz battle... so they come up with a naming convention (to be truthful, Cyrix did the same thing) that says its chips - while actually being slower - are LIKE Intel's faster chips.
Lexus has done the same with their naming conventions of their hybrids! "Folks, what we have here is a car that performs MUCH LIKE a 4.5L V8!
What great marketing genius! (Touch of sarcasm here) Soon, manufacturers will be adding the metric volume figures of the air filters to bloat numbers on "displacement".
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GM_Admirer 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
#3 - Does the size of the engine matter as much as the performance numbers?
I think that there may be two schools of thought - One worships the cubic inches and number of cylinders, while another set of customers may care more about the fact that it gives V8 performance (low-end torque and high-end power) without guilt of having a V8 fuel economy.. The theme with Lexus appears to be 'guilt-free performance'.
I think that this vehicle may be targetted to the latter class.
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hybrid enthusiast 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
@ 4 -- you can even go a step beyond 'guilt-free performance' and say that it is a better choice. If a hybrid engine performs as well as a guzzler and gets nearly twice the fuel economy, doesn't that make it a better engine?
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Carl 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Yong,
Why do you beleive it will be the fall of '06?
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Ken Wu 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
hmmm ... Lexus IS is very similar to GS ... and already runs the 3.5L V6 .... maybe ... possibly ... enough room to fit this electric motor in too? God I hope so!
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Peter R 9:02PM (12/25/2005)
Preface: I just replaced the wife's Lexus GX-470 (4.7 Liter V8) with the RX-400h. She previously drove the earlier RX and always wanted a SUV with a Car Like Feel like her RX-300 did. She got that back with her RX-400h and the performance of her GX with all the creature comforts of her GX (AWD, heated seats, windshield washer, etc.).
Based on our recent experience (11/05) with our RX-400h, I'm thinking that GS-450h is going to be a nice surprise. I also think (my personal speculation and I have found numerous others saying otherwise) that the 3.5 liter V-6 is the one used in the 2006 IS-350 which already outperforms the GS-430 and the SC-430, with three electric motors to boot. Despite the the GS being heavier than the IS, I personally believe the GS-450h is going to be comparable to the IS-350 and a tad faster than the GS-430 or the SC-430. Otherwise, I don't thing they would call it a 450. Any bets? Friendly wager of course - just the ability to say "I knew it..."
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